Selective plugging element and method of selectively plugging a channel therewith

ABSTRACT

An assembly for assisting performance of an operation involving a hardenable fluid in an axial flowbore of a casing string including a carrier disposed at the casing string. An operative device is carried by the carrier. A channel connects between the operative device and the axial flowbore. A plugging element is positioned in the channel that protects the operative device by preventing the hardenable fluid from entering the channel, and the plugging element is reconfigurable to selectively permit communication between the operative device and the axial flowbore via the channel. A method of protecting and using an operative device disposed at a casing string is also included.

BACKGROUND

There is an ever present desire in the downhole drilling and completions industry for improved monitoring and/or control of various fluid operations, e.g., cementing, hydraulic fracturing, chemical injection, etc. For example, the industry would well receive new systems that increase efficiency, increase accuracy, decrease costs, and/or are applicable to a wider variety of scenarios than possible with previous systems.

SUMMARY

An assembly for assisting performance of an operation involving a hardenable fluid in an axial flowbore of a casing string, comprising a carrier disposed at the casing string; an operative device carried by the carrier; a channel connecting between the operative device and the axial flowbore; and a plugging element positioned in the channel that protects the operative device by preventing the hardenable fluid from entering the channel, the plugging element reconfigurable to selectively permit communication between the operative device and the axial flowbore via the channel.

A method of protecting and using an operative device disposed at a casing string, comprising performing an operation involving a hardenable fluid in an axial flowbore of the casing string; preventing the hardenable fluid from entering a channel connecting between the operative device and the axial flowbore with a plugging element disposed in the channel; reconfiguring the plugging element to permit communication through the channel; and communicating between the operative device and the axial flowbore via the channel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a borehole completion system;

FIG. 2 is a semi-transparent side view of an assembly that facilitates a function, operation, or process performed by or with the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a semi-transparent top view of the assembly of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a plugging element of the assembly of FIG. 1 being removed from a communication channel; and

FIG. 6 is a view of an operative device according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures.

FIG. 1 depicts a completion system 10 in which a casing string 12 is installed in a borehole 14. In this embodiment the casing string 12 is cemented within the borehole 14 by filling an annulus 16 between the string 12 and the borehole 14 with cement. The cement can be supplied in any desired manner, e.g., pumped down through a port or shoe (not shown) at the end of the string 12 and back up the annulus 16, or according to any other known or discovered technique. Other hardenable fluids, e.g., proppant or sand slurries, could also be pumped through the string 12.

The system 10 includes an assembly 20 having an operative device 22 that is in selective communication, e.g., fluid communication with an axial flowbore 24 of the casing string 12 via a communication channel 26. The operative device 22 is carried by a carrier 28 that is installed with, along or otherwise disposed at the casing string 12. In one embodiment, the carrier 28 includes threaded ends or the like in order for the carrier 28 to be secured along the length of the casing string 12. In this way, the carrier 28 is a casing joint or section that is secured on opposite sides to other casing joints or sections to form the casing string 12. In this way, the channel 26 is effectively formed in or through a wall of the casing string 12, with the operative device 22 separated from the flowbore 24 and in communication therewith via the channel 26.

By operative device it is meant any device that is capable of performing a function, process, or operation for or with the system 10, or assisting in the performance of such a function, process, or operation, specifically requiring communication with the flowbore 24, e.g., fluid communication, pressure communication, etc. Alternatively stated, the operative device 22 relies upon interaction with fluid within the flowbore 24 in order to function to its desired end, be it direct contact with the fluid, or indirectly via some intermediary interface. In one embodiment, the operative device 22 is a chemical injection valve that selectively enables chemical injection via the fluid communication channel 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the operative device 22 includes a pair of sensing elements 30 for enabling the assembly 20 to monitor one or more parameters of fluid within the flowbore 24, e.g., temperature, pressure, etc. The sensing elements 30 can include relevant components, e.g., sensors, transmitters, receivers, or other communication devices or electronics, etc.

An instrumentation line 32 extending to surface or another location in the system 10 can be included to provide power, fluid, signal, and/or data communication with the device 22. In one embodiment, the instrumentation line 32 is a tubing encapsulated conductor, although in other embodiments the line 32 can be or include chemical injection line, hydraulic control line, fiber optic line, etc. The device 22 also includes a connector 34 to form a fluid pressure bearing connection between the device 22 and the channel 26. As shown in FIG. 3, the device 22 can be located within a recessed area 35 in the carrier 28, e.g., to protect the device 22 during run-in. It is to be noted that the device 22 is illustrated as being open to the annulus 16, but in other embodiments a cover or other member can be disposed over the recessed area 35 to provide further protection and fluidly isolate the device 22 from the annulus 16. A clamp 36 or other fastener can be included to assist in securing the device 22 to the carrier 28.

Although communication between the device 22 and the flowbore 24 is required in order for the device 22 to properly perform one or more of its functions, operations, or processes, such communication may not be initially desired in order to protect the device 22 from cement or other hardenable fluids that are pumped through string 12. For example, in the example above, communication through the channel 26 could be impaired or compromised if cement enters and cures within the channel 26, if sand grains or solid particulate of proppant slurry become compacted within the channel 26, or some other hardenable fluid clogs, blocks, or otherwise at least partially fills the channel 26. In order to initially protect the channel 26 from becoming clogged, blocked, or impeded by a hardenable fluid, communication through the channel 26 is prevented by a plugging element 38, as shown in FIG. 4. The plugging element 38 is reconfigurable between a first configuration in which communication between the flowbore 24 and the channel 26 is blocked and a second configuration in which communication is permitted. For example, FIG. 4 depicts the plugging element 38 in a first relatively larger size or configuration in which the plugging element 38 impedes communication between the device 22 and the flowbore 24, while FIG. 5 depicts the channel 26 after the plugging element 38 has changed dimensions and fallen out of the channel 26, been urged out of the channel 26. It is noted that the plugging element 38 may remain positioned in the channel 26, but change in shape, size, or dimension in order to permit fluid flow or other communication through the channel 26.

Specifically, the plugging element 38 can be selected from a material or having a structure that is reconfigurable in response to a selected fluid and/or a fluid having a selected property. In this way, the channel 26 can be selectively opened by exposing the plugging element 38 to the selected fluid, thereby triggering the plugging element 38 to reconfigure for providing the aforementioned communication between the device 22 and the flowbore 24. The application of the selected fluid to the plugging element 38 can be set a desired time or following a selected event, e.g., after cementing operations through the string 12 have completed. In one embodiment, the selected fluid is provided through the axial flowbore 24.

The plugging element 38 can be made from a variety of materials and responsive to a variety of fluids in order to selectively permit communication through the channel 26. For example, in one embodiment, the plugging element 38 is made at least partially from a material that is disintegrable in response to a corresponding fluid. By disintegrable, it is meant that the material is disintegrated, dissolved, consumed, decomposed, or otherwise removed due to interaction with the selected fluid. In one embodiment, the disintegrable material is the material made commercially available from Baker Hughes Incorporated under the name INTALLIC™ and the selected fluid includes brine, acid, etc. According to one embodiment, the plugging element 38 is a swellable material that can absorb one or more fluids (e.g., oil or water) in order to increase in size. By exposing the swellable material to a selected fluid to which the swellable material does not swellably respond, the absorbed fluid can be displaced or otherwise forced or drawn out of the plugging element 38 to cause the element 38 to shrink, compress, un-swell, or otherwise change in size in order to permit communication through the channel 26. In one embodiment, the plugging element 38 is made at least partially from a shape-memory material (e.g., polymer, alloy, etc.) and the selected fluid conveys a corresponding transition stimulus, e.g., temperature, pH, etc., suitable for triggering the shape memory material to revert to a remembered shape having dimensions smaller than the channel 26. It is also noted that the plugging element 38 could take the form of a rupture disk that is responsive to fluid pressure.

An operative device 40 according to another embodiment is depicted in FIG. 6. In the illustrated embodiment, the operative device 40 includes one of the sensing elements 30, although a chemical injection valve or other tool could be alternatively included, as noted above. In addition to the sensing element 30 or other device, the operatively device 40 includes a mechanism 42 for opening the channel 26 by triggering the reconfiguring of the plugging element 38. For example, in one embodiment the mechanism 42 is or includes a chamber filled with the selected fluid to which the plugging element 38 is reconfigurably responsive. Thus, the reconfiguring mechanism can be a brine, acid, etc., for disintegrating the plugging element 38, a fluid having a predefined temperature, pH, etc., for trigging a shape-memory shape change of the plugging element 38, a pressurized fluid for bursting the plugging element 38, a non-absorptive fluid that causes the plugging element 38 to un-swell, etc. The mechanism 42 can include a valve, pistons, etc., or any other components to assist in releasing the selected fluid at a desired time, pressuring up the selected fluid, urging the selected fluid to the plugging element 38, etc. The mechanism 42 can be controlled via signals and/or power delivered through the instrumentation line 32.

While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An assembly for assisting performance of an operation involving a hardenable fluid in an axial flowbore of a casing string, comprising: a carrier disposed at the casing string; an operative device carried by the carrier; a channel connecting between the operative device and the axial flowbore; and a plugging element positioned in the channel that protects the operative device by preventing the hardenable fluid from entering the channel, the plugging element reconfigurable to selectively permit communication between the operative device and the axial flowbore via the channel.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the plugging element is reconfigurably responsive to a selected fluid.
 3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the operative device includes a mechanism that controls application of the selected fluid to the plugging element.
 4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the mechanism holds the selected fluid and releases the selected fluid to reconfigure the plugging element.
 5. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the plugging element is disintegrable in responsive to the selected fluid.
 6. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the plugging element changes in size in response to the selected fluid.
 7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the plugging element includes a swellable material that un-swells in response to the selected fluid.
 8. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the plugging element is a shape memory material that undergoes a shape change to a remember shape in response to the selected fluid.
 9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the operation includes cementing and the hardenable fluid includes cement.
 10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the operative device includes one or more sensing elements for measuring one or more parameters related to the fluid.
 11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the operative device includes a chemical injection valve.
 12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the operative device is located within a recessed area in the carrier.
 13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the recessed area is open to an annulus between the casing string and a borehole in which the casing string is run.
 14. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the carrier is installed as a casing joint along the casing string.
 15. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the hardenable fluid is cement.
 16. A method of protecting and using an operative device disposed at a casing string, comprising: performing an operation involving a hardenable fluid in an axial flowbore of the casing string; preventing the hardenable fluid from entering a channel connecting between the operative device and the axial flowbore with a plugging element disposed in the channel; reconfiguring the plugging element to permit communication through the channel; and communicating between the operative device and the axial flowbore via the channel.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein performing the operation includes pumping cement through the casing string and cementing the casing string in a borehole.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the operative device includes a sensing element and the communicating includes monitoring one or more parameters of fluid in the axial flowbore.
 19. The method of claim 16, wherein the operative device includes a chemical injection valve and the communicating includes injecting one or more chemicals into the axial flowbore.
 20. The method of claim 16, wherein the reconfiguring includes disintegrating the plugging element, un-swelling the plugging element, triggering a shape memory shape change of the plugging element, bursting the plugging element, or a combination including at least one of the foregoing. 